Jatropha curcas curcin genes, tissue-specific promoters and generation of curcin-deficient transgenic Jatropha plants

Abstract

The present invention relates to the isolation of Jatropha curcas curcin genes and tissue-specific promoters and to the production of curcin-deficient Jatropha plants. More specifically, the present invention relates to the isolation of Jatropha curcas Curcin 1, Curcin 2 and Curcin 2 A. The present invention further relates to of the Curcin 1, Curcin 2 A and Curcin 2 genes and more particularly to tissue specific promoters of the Curcin 1 and Curcin 2A genes. The present invention further relates to production of curcin-deficient transgenic jatropha plants by using RNAi technology to suppress curcin gene expression.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A nucleic acid construct comprising a nucleic acid having promoter activity in a plant operably linked to a heterologous DNA of interest, wherein the nucleic acid having promoter activity in a plant is selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) a nucleic acid comprising nucleotides 1 to 3181 of SEQ ID NO:7; 
 (b) a nucleic acid comprising nucleotides 1 to 2888 of SEQ ID NO:7; 
 (c) a nucleic acid comprising nucleotides 1142 to 3181 of SEQ ID NO:7; 
 (d) a nucleic acid comprising nucleotides 1 to 3181 of SEQ ID NO:7 with nucleotides 2944 to 3170 deleted; 
 (e) a nucleic acid comprising nucleotides 1142 to 3181 of SEQ ID NO:7 with nucleotides 2944 to 3170 deleted; and 
 (f) a nucleic acid comprising nucleotides 2688 to 3181 of SEQ ID NO:7 with nucleotides 2944 to 3170 deleted. 
 
     
     
       2. A transgenic plant cell containing within its genome the nucleic acid construct of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       3. The transgenic plant cell of  claim 2 , wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of a  Jatropha  species, castor bean, palm oil, coconut, peanut, rapeseeds, soybean, sunflower, cassava, tomato, beans, cotton, cucumber, cabbage, barley, oats, wheat, corn and rice. 
     
     
       4. The transgenic plant cell of  claim 3 , wherein the  Jatropha  species is  Jatropha curcas.    
     
     
       5. A transgenic plant containing within its genome the nucleic acid construct of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       6. The transgenic plant of  claim 5 , wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of a  Jatropha  species, castor bean, palm oil, coconut, peanut, rapeseeds, soybean, sunflower, cassava, tomato, beans, cotton, cucumber, cabbage, barley, oats, wheat, corn and rice. 
     
     
       7. The transgenic plant of  claim 6 , wherein the  Jatropha  species is  Jatropha curcas.    
     
     
       8. A method of producing a transgenic plant cell comprising transforming cells of the plant with the nucleic acid construct of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of a  Jatropha  species, castor bean, palm oil, coconut, peanut, rapeseeds, soybean, sunflower, cassava, tomato, beans, cotton, cucumber, cabbage, barley, oats, wheat, corn and rice. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the  Jatropha  species is  Jatropha curcas.    
     
     
       11. A method of producing a transgenic plant comprising transforming cells of the plant with the nucleic acid construct of  claim 1  and regenerating a transgenic plant from the transformed plant cells. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of a  Jatropha  species, castor bean, palm oil, coconut, peanut, rapeseeds, soybean, sunflower, cassava, tomato, beans, cotton, cucumber, cabbage, barley, oats, wheat, corn and rice. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the  Jatropha  species is  Jatropha curcas.    
     
     
       14. A transgenic  jatropha  plant containing within its genome the nucleic acid construct of  claim 1 , wherein the transgenic  jatropha  plant is curcin deficient. 
     
     
       15. The transgenic  jatropha  plant of  claim 14 , wherein the  jatropha  plant is  Jatropha curcas.